Parents anxious about proposal for two St. Vital schools

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/03/2023 (984 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARENTS of students in two St. Vital schools are upset about a proposal to trade young students in one school with older students at the other.

Currently, both Darwin School and Minnetonka School house students from kindergarten to Grade 8, but the Louis Riel School Division is looking at turning Minnetonka into a K-4 school and Darwin into a facility with Grades 5-8.

The proposed change would take effect in time for the new school year in September.

But parents are worried it could not only mean the loss of an afterschool program and child care for some students, but also result in longer walks for students and more driving by parents with children at different schools.

Melissa Martin, whose four children are in Darwin School, in Grades 2, 4, 6 and 8, said parents at both schools were blindsided when they received a notification from principals about the proposal under consideration a couple of weeks ago.

“Having this school nearby was why we bought our house,” Martin said. “It is so close to us. But now our youngest children will have to go a kilometre away.

“We’re hopeful they’ll leave the two schools alone.”

The two schools are located in the neighbourhood south of Bishop Grandin Boulevard and between the Red River and St. Mary’s Road.

By car, according to Google maps, the two schools are a three-minute drive apart, but on foot, it’s a 13-minute trek. Some students would be faced with even longer walks, especially those living west of Minnetonka School or those east and north of Darwin.

Martin, who chairs the Darwin Parents Association, said she has heard from numerous families upset about the possible change.

“This change has raised a number of concerns, fears and frustrations,” she said. “Daycare, transportation, safety and mental-health well-being are at the forefront.

“Many families are concerned about their child-care spaces, increased traffic around both schools and older siblings no longer being able to care for younger siblings before and after school. Families without vehicles may be left with no option but to make the long walk to both schools for pickup, no matter the weather conditions.”

Another parent, Brett Meade, said if the plan goes through, his Grade 1 and Grade 4 children will suddenly be in two different schools in September.

“I just want to know why?” Meade said. “What’s the benefit, so I can let my children know. Coming out of COVID they have never really settled in to school and they are each a major support for each other.

“If this is change for the sake of change it is really not helpful. This is just a cause of stress for us for no real reason.”

Christian Michalik, superintendent of the Louis Riel School Division, said the opportunity presented itself after construction at another division school created a domino effect, resulting in Grades 7 and 8 students from Minnetonka being pushed over to Darwin this year.

“The kids are telling us this is fun because there are twice as many kids,” Michalik said. “And the staff say this is fun because there are twice as many colleagues. Instead of 20 kids in a grade together for nine years it could be 40 kids together for nine years.

“We decided to talk about it before we go back to two K-to-8 schools.”

Michalik said any changes at the two schools would only be put in place “if through the dialogue we can build community support.”

As for child care, Michalik said it is a problem for parents across the division and citywide.

“Whether we make this change or not, we have to expand child-care spaces at the two schools,” he said.

But Meade said his family already has child care in place at their school and the only uncertainty they’ll face is if the two schools are split up.

And he said a survey of parents, which asks whether the respondent is for, against or neutral, has been set up so principals will then call parents who disagree with the proposal to “ask what it would take to get you to be for it. “

“It seems more like they’re imposing their will,” he said.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca